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“They’re About to Take My Phone, Don’t Text Anymore”: Brittney Griner’s Wife Revealed the Exact Sequence of Events Before WNBA Star’s Arrest

Published 09/25/2022, 2:30 PM EDT

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The Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for over 215 days. The WNBA star was held at a Moscow Airport after the officials found vape cartridges filled with hashish oil in her carry-on bag on February 17. Griner pleaded guilty to the charges against and was sentenced to nine years in prison. 

The American government has been trying to bring Griner home. Moreover, Brittney Griner‘s wife has been trying her best to bring her home from Russia. Back in May, Cherelle Griner made an appearance on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ show. Cherelle gave an insight on all events before Brittney’s Griner’s arrest. 

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Last texts from Brittney Griner before detainment

Brittney and Cherelle had a conversation through texting moments before the 2014 WNBA champ was detained. Griner’s wife shared that she first heard the news from Griner when Brittney was being held at the airport. 

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Griner texted her at 2:00 AM. As per Cherelle, Griner texted, “Babe, babe, babe, wake up, they have me in this room. I don’t know what’s going on.”

Cherelle replied instantly and asked for more details. Griner revealed that the customs in Moscow had grabbed her during the security check and held her in a room. Further, the WNBA All-Star’s last text was, “They are about to take my phone, don’t text anymore.” So, Cherelle asked Brittney to call her when she could. 

Cherelle Griner urges the government to bring the WNBA star home

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During the interview, Cherelle urged president Joe Biden to use his powers to bring Brittney Griner back home. She wanted the government to do something about a citizen being unjustly held in Russia. However, things have just gone downhill for Griner since then. The 31-year-old is still stuck in a Russian penitentiary and the US authorities have not succeeded in bringing her home. 

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The Biden Administration had offered the Russian government the release arms trafficker Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner and Paul Whelan. Bout is serving a 25-year sentence in America currently. 

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Watch This Story: WNBA star Brittney Griner’s saga in Russia: The entire timeline

Unfortunately, the negotiations have not yielded any fruitful results so far. Many NBA and WNBA stars have come in support of the Phoenix Mercury star and wished for her safe return. Hopefully, Griner finds a way to return to her homeland soon.

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Written by:

Rohit Kumawat

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Rohit Kumawat is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing an MBA in Media and Business Management, Rohit holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has been working as a Sports and Entertainment writer for over a year.
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